Fitting in
by Azar's Curse
Summary: Shadow Roth wasn’t your normal girl. What kind of normal girl hides her face beneath a hooded cloak, has two short swords hidden in her room, or refuses point blank to talk about her past? Why on earth is she in Nebraska Home? Will she fit in at Cherub?
1. Chapter 1

CHERUB

Fitting in…

Shadow Roth wasn't your normal girl. What kind of normal girl hides her face beneath a hooded cloak, has two short swords hidden in her room, or refuses point blank to talk about her past? What kind of girl leaps three feet into the air if you touch her, keeps books written in a strange language in her room, or has naturally dark grey hair? Ah yes, why does she have a circular scar around her left eye, and why on earth is she in Nebraska Home?

Shadow sighed; she had been grounded because of a little mistake. She hadn't _meant_ to knock that guy out! He had sneaked up behind her! Putting those thought to the back of her mind, she rolled over on her bed so that she was facing the door. She had heard some one coming. Sure enough, there was a knock on the door, it opened and a head poked round. It was a skinny boy, with a heap of untidy hair. Shadow sat up, crossing her legs in a lotus position.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Whatever." Shadow answered. He walked in and sat on a chair by the desk.

"Who's your room mate?" He asked, looking between the two sides of the room. One was decorates in pink and boy band posters while one was bare.

"Girl called Alice."

"You're Allyssia, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Shadow was referring to the name her father had told her to use should something like this ever happen.

"I think you may have broken the record for getting yourself grounded."

"Why is that?"

"You've only been here for two weeks!"

"True, what's your point?"

"Nothing." There was a short silence. "How come you ended up in a dump like this?"

"Parents murdered."

"That must be tough…"

"I got used to it."

"What do you mean?"

"That is none of your business."

"Well," The boy said, standing up, "I'm Kyle, and I would find some where a bit more secretive to hide those swords of yours if I were you." Shadow looked at him in shock.

"What swords?"

"The ones you hide under your bed, that's what." He reached under Shadow's bed, pulling out a pair of short swords. Shadow paled before grabbing them back, putting her hand on the hilt of one before she thought about it. Putting the blades down, the glared at Kyle.

"Who gave you permission to go through my room?"

"You had better get used to it, it happens all the time." Shadow stood up, pointing towards the door.

"Get out." She hissed. Kyle shrugged before walking towards the door. Turning round, he saw Shadow gazing at the swords sadly. The whole air around her had changed from the tough, couldn't-care-less tomboy to a small, scared child.

"Hey, if you ever need to talk, there are lots of us you can turn to." Shadow looked up at him, steel grey eyes slightly blurred. She nodded before picking the swords up, intending to hide them again. Kyle sighed and left. Allyssia gave him a headache.

Shadow watched carefully as Kyle left, and then got up to shut the door behind him. Shadow quickly hid the swords again and walked over to her desk. Taking a key from her shoe, she unlocked one of the desk drawers (she had managed to install a padlock on it). She picked out a thick, leather bound book. Taking a quill and a bottle of ink from the same drawer, she sat down at the desk, opening the book. She dipped her coal-black quill in the midnight blue ink and began to write.

A few days later, there was a new arrival in Nebraska home. Some rich looking boy called James. Shadow watched his arrival, crouched on one of the rafters holding up the roof. This was one of her favourite observation place as she could see all those who came and went. The boy looked up, and so did the social worker, Shadow jumped to another rafter, not wanting to be seen by the social worker that was with him. They always told her off for being up that high. She moved backwards before leaping off the rafter, landing lightly on the floor just below the staircase. She ran quietly to her room before Rachel caught up with her. Shadow didn't need any more trouble right then.

Shutting the door behind her, Shadow walked over to her bed and sat down, eyes closed, crossing her legs in a lotus position. She completely ignored her roommate.

"Hey, is that any welcome Allyssia?" Shadow opened one annoyed eye.

"Shut up Alice."

"You're so moody!"

"I'd rather be moody that you." The conversation stopped. Shadow kept one eye open to watch for danger.

"Three… Two… One…" Shadow said. The door burst open to reveal a very angry looking Rachel.

"Why do you deliberately disobey rules that are there for your own safety Allyssia?"

"Because I know that I can deal with anything that happens."

"You will NOT do that again! You're giving the younger ones ideas, and they haven't had the same past as you! I had one of the three-year-olds trying to hang upside down from a tree!"

"That wasn't just me. I only do that if I have to concentrate."

"Never the less, you still do it!" Shadow merely rolled her eyes, "I repeat, just act normal!"

"What IS normal!"

"The way everyone else acts!"

"I'm not lowering myself to that level!" Shouted Shadow, getting up and racing past Rachel. She ran through the corridors, heading for the door. Kyle saw her, and decided that this wasn't good. He raced after her, tackling the girl to the ground. Shadow leapt back to her feet, turning towards her attacker.

"Shadow! Calm down, it's me!" Shadow narrowed her eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

CHERUB

Fitting in…

Previously…

_Shadow ran through the corridors, heading for the door. Kyle saw her, and decided that this wasn't good. He raced after her, tackling the girl to the ground. Shadow leapt back to her feet, turning towards her attacker. _

"_Shadow! Calm down, it's me!" Shadow narrowed her eyes._

"How do you know that name?"

"Don't ask, can we just talk?" I glared at Kyle once again before turning tail and continuing to run. Kyle shook his head, running after me. I ran outside, ignoring the pounding rain. I vaulted over the gates, landing in a low fighting position before continuing my run, ignoring the pain that had settled in my muscles. Kyle caught up with me again, grabbing my cloak.

"Please, what's going on?"

"Leave me alone!" I shouted, trying to hide the fact that I was crying.

"Calm down. It's going to be ok."

"No, it won't. It never was, and never will."

"Look, come back with me." I shook my head, but Kyle darted behind me, pinning my arms behind my back, pain shot up through my shoulders as he forced me back towards the building.

Rachel came storming up to us, her face like thunder. Kyle shot the woman a warning look, but she took no notice.

"Allyssia!" I was afraid, but .remembered my training, never show emotion in a situation like this. Another woman came into the room, one I recognized as 'Jennifer Mitchum', the home psychologist. I had already had several sessions with her because everyone said that I was too dangerous to be accepted at school until I managed to curb my temper.

"Rachel, can I have a little talk to Allyssia?" Jennifer asked quietly. Rachel waved one hand.

"Get her out of my sight." She groaned. Jennifer nodded and put an arm gently around my shoulders, leading me towards her office. Moving slowly and quietly, Jennifer drew a filled needle out of her pocket. Sliding the cap off, she slid it into my arm, releasing the contents quickly. I stiffened suddenly, feeling the needle touch my skin, but my eyes slid out of focus and I fell through the darkness, feeling myself hit the floor.

I woke up curled into a tight ball, in something soft and greyish. Feeling around my neck, as was my habit every morning to make sure that there was nothing wrong, like a new cut or something. My mind felt clouded, and I was having trouble focusing on anything. Shaking my head in an attempt to clear the fog, I took in my surroundings. I was in a room, which seemed to be a lot better than my room in Nebraska Home. It wasn't big enough for two people, but there were a whole lot of things that you wouldn't normally find in a children's home. TV, kettle, computer, mini fridge, and some sort of military uniform at the bottom of her bed. I guessed that I was supposed to put it on, and therefore changed out of my usual outfit of close-fitting long-sleeved black shirt and trousers. I pulled on the orange shirt and kaki trousers, clipping my black cloak on top. Next to the uniform, lay my swords. Smiling slightly, I strapped them on, crossed, on my back, where they normally were.

I walked warily out the door, passing other children, dressed in roughly the same uniform as me, only with different coloured shirts.

"Can someone…" I started to say to a girl in a navy shirt.

"Can't talk to orange." She replied. 

"Why?" 

"Can't talk to orange." She hurried off, leaving me fuming slightly. Turning to someone in a black shirt, I tried again, but with the same answer. It took me ten minutes, and a lot of self-control not to draw swords, before some one pointed me downstairs, keeping their mouth shut.

I jogged down the stairs, looking around desperately until I spotted a reception desk. Running over, I skidded to a halt in front of the desk. 

"Please don't say 'can't talk to orange'. Where am I?" I said.

"Evening, Shadow. Please leave your swords here and follow me." I warily left her swords on the desk, keeping the harness though, and followed the receptionist. I wondered how this woman could know my true name, and somehow avoid answering my question. 

She led me to a door not far from the staircase that I had just come down. The receptionist knocked and waited for an answer.

"Enter." Said a voice. My mind immediately identified it as a male voice with a slight Scottish accent. The woman opened the door and pushed me through. I stumbled slightly, not expecting the push and turned to say something, but the door had already closed.

"Welcome, Shadow. I wasn't expecting you for a while." Said the voice again. I turned round sharply to see a man sitting behind his desk, watching me. I nodded my head in acknowledgement. He stood up, moving towards the burning fire, sitting in one of the two chairs opposite.

"Please take a seat."

"I'd rather stand, sir." I replied.

"No one is going to attack you here."

"I'd rather not take the chance."

"I would still like to you take a seat." This came more as an order than a request. Moving cautiously, I took the seat that he had pointed to, sitting on the very edge, ready to flee at any moment's notice.

"I take it that you would like to know where you are."

"Yes, sir."

"Well, I'm glad to welcome to the CHERUB campus."

"CHERUB? What does that stand for, sir?" I ran through several possibilities in my head, but came up with a blank.

"We don't actually know. His wife shot the founder before he could tell anyone, and the name stuck, I'm afraid. If you have any ideas, please let me know, it's getting a bit embarrassing. Anyway, we'd like you to join us here, where your 'skills' will be of good use to you."

"What exactly is 'here', apart from the CHERUB campus? What's so special about it?"

"CHERUB is an organisation that is, in short, an extension of the British intelligence, but instead of adults, we use children. Criminals have been doing this for several decades, and now, we turn the tables on them."

"Isn't it dangerous for the child on the mission, sir?"

"We don't send children on a mission that can be done by an adult, and we have an ethics committee that decide whether the missions are too dangerous or not."

"How would my 'skills' be an asset here?"

"Because you are pretty much a trained assassin, and most probably have the connections as well. The ability that you learnt, to hide your emotions, is also very useful.

"Could you explain a bit more about the campus, sir?"

"We have a school on site, and our academic record is among the best. All of our students go on to top universities. All our students know at least three languages when they leave. We have several sports facilities here, including athletics tracks, all-weather football pitch, gymnasium, shooting range and several others." I thought a bit.

"This can't be as simple as it sounds. There's always a catch to it."

"You have to pass a test before we can offer you a place here, and also, you have to agree to be a part of the British Intelligence."

"What do these tests involve?"

"The test is separated into five parts, and will last all day, should you wish to sit it." I thought for a bit again.

"Yes, I wish to sit the test, sir."

"Good, follow me, and call me 'Mac'. I nodded and 'Mac' strode out of the office, me following.


	3. Chapter 3

CHERUB

CHERUB

Fitting in.

Chapter 3

We walked towards a Japanese-style building.

"Do you know what this is Allyssia?"

"It's a dojo." I said, slightly bored. Mac frowned slightly, but lead the way inside. We passed next to a room full of kids practising, supervised by a scrict looking Japanese woman who was shouting at them in a mixture of Japanese and English. I managed to understand some of it, but most was too fast for me to comprehend.

Mac continued through the room towards a smaller one, that I guessed was used for one on one sparring. There was a rather skinny boy there, testing out some high kicks. He looked up as we entered the room, and nodded to me.

"Hey!" He said, walking over.

"Bruce, this is Allyssia, the assassin's daughter. Allyssia, this is Bruce. Your first task is to fight him. There will be five bouts, but you may submit and try again." I nodded and took off my cloak and sword harness, glaring slightly at Mac. I hated being associated to the Assassin Lord that happened to be my father.

We both squared up to each other, observing each other. _Don't get over-confident._ I though to myself, _He may be really skinny, but so are you, and you hide a lot of strength._

"Begin." Said Mac, and Bruce leapt forwards faster than I had anticipated, and only just had time to back flip out of the way before his fist collided with my head. Dropping into a low fighting position, I watched the boy carefully. He darted forwards afain, managing to get behind me again before I realised what was going on. I felt his fist collide with the back of my head, and I fell to the ground. I leapt back to my feet again, only to be sent sprawling on the ground once again. I felt him take hold of my arm, and tried to twist out of the way. There was a sharp crack, and I bit back a scream as a bolt of pain shot up my arm.

"Submit!" I said, rolling away and standing up again, slightly shakily.

"Do you want to continue?" Asked Mac. I nodded my head, squaring up to Bruce for a second time.

"Begin."

Bruce darted forwards again, and this time, I was ready. I leapt up into the air, and flipped over the boy's head. Landing lightly, I turned sharply to face him once more. He reacted quickly, aiming a flying kick for my head. I ducked, before grabbing his foot, making him fall flat on his face. He sprang up again as if nothing had happened. A quick glance upwards gave me a slight hope. There were rafters there! I ran towards the wall, building up enough momentum to be able to use the wall to flip onto the rafters. I crouched there, watching Bruce as he glared up at me. Giving a small smile, I dropped down to the floor again, before aiming my own punch at him. He boredly batted my fist aside, and launched his own, hitting my left temple. I fell to the side, white lights popping before my eyes. _What would an assassin do?_ I thought desperately, trying to ignore the pain that had taken up residence in my head, before the answer came to me. I stood up again, and aimed a kick for his head. He, predictable, grabbed my foot. I smiled again, and used his grip to bring my own foot round, kicking him in the head, sending him sprawling onto the floor. He, yet again, sprang back up. I growled slightly. _Won't this guy ever give up?!_ I thought to myself. He aimed a kick at my head, and I didn't see this coming. I brought one arm up, in an attempt to stop his foot from making contact with my head. It glanced off my block, but hit my shoulder hard. There was a sickening snap and I felt my collarbone break.

"Submit!" I said, backing away, holding my shoulder protectively.

"Do you want to continue?" Asked Mac. I shook my head. Bruce walked over to me.

"Here, I'll put your elbow back in place." He said gently, taking my arm. I stepped back quickly.

"It's ok, I can do it." I replied, rotating the dislocated bone until I heard the crunch, and felt the bolt of pain that told me that the joint was back where it was supposed to be.

"Well, em… Good fight," Bruce said, holding out his hand. I gingerly shook his hand, bowing my head. I turned away, picking up my cloak and the harness. After a few modifications, I managed to strap my arm up behind my back, immobilising it, and clipped the cloak around my shoulders again.

Mac nodded to me, and left the dojo, with me following. He walked to a low stone building, and then into a room full of desks and chairs. Indicating for me to sit down, he gave me a small stack of papers and a pen.

"Mathematics and English papers," He explained. "Do as much as you can. You have forty-five minutes, starting now." I sighed, picking up the pen and thinking about the first question.


	4. Chapter 4

CHERUB

Fitting in…

Disclaimer: I know I forgot these, but this goes for the rest of the story: I own nothing but Shadow and Melanie (hehehe, I'm not gonna tell you who THAT is yet!).

Thanks to everyone that reviewed!

On with the story

Chapter 4

Forty-five minutes later, I walked out of the building, and tried to follow Mac's directions to the canteen, rotating her immobilised arm carefully. It wasn't that I minded written work, but I preferred being outside.

The crowded canteen was strange after Nebraska Home. Everyone was chatting, and the food actually looked edible. I picked my food carefully, and chose a seat to the outside of the mob. Bruce came over a few minutes later, sitting opposite me. I took no notice, wondering why on earth he wanted to be around her.

"Are you ignoring me?" He asked.

"No, I just have no wish to talk. Why are you talking to me anyway? Most people just say 'Can't talk to orange'."

"Orange shirts are for guests, and you have to have special permission from Mac before you can talk to one."

"So why did you ask for permission to talk to me?"

"I wanted to apologise for breaking your shoulder."

"It's no biggie, I once broke both arms in my training."

"It still doesn't make it right…"

"Just drop it will you?" I said tiredly. Bruce shook his head.

"You're a hard one to figure out, you know that?"

"I was raised that way."

"That's probably why you're here."

"Maybe."

"Would you want to stay if you passed the test?"

"I suppose so." Bruce smiled at me, and for once, I returned it.

After lunch, I was back in Mac's office. There was a live chicken on his desk, in a cage. Bruce had escorted me there as I was unsure of the way.

"Do you like chicken?" Asked Mac. I shrugged in response. "I want you to kill this chicken." I grimaced slightly.

"Any particular way?" I asked.

"With this pen." Mac handed me a biro. I sighed, taking the pen. Reaching into the cage, blocking out me emotions, I gently took the chicken. With one quick stab, I put the pen through its jugular, killing it instantly. I backed away from the cage, disgusted with myself. Mac nodded before walking out of the room, signalling for me to follow him.

Mac led me out into the grounds, and pointed me in a direction.

"You have five seconds head start before we come after you." He said. I felt completely confused, and began to run, not caring about the direction. Five seconds later, I hit woodland, and heard the distant pounding of feet. My mind started to panic, but I tried hard to suppress it. I continued to run as fast as I could, weaving in and out of the trees in a desperate attempt to get my pursuers off my tail. The pounding feet seemed to come closer and closer, until I was sure that they were right behind me. There was a low hanging branch right in my path, and I used that to swing myself up into the trees. I leapt from branch to branch, gaining height before I came to a break in the branches that I could use to spy on what was happening on the ground. A few people sprinted past, apparently on the trail. A few minutes later, they were walking back, looking all around. One was speaking into a walkie-talkie.

"Mac? We lost her." He said.

"When you next see her, say that the test is over." Said Mac's voice.

"Will do sir." I listened carefully, picking up the sound of more feet. Three more people entered the clearing, looking all around. They were conversing quietly, and I decided to get a closer listen. Wrapping my legs around the branch I had been crouched on, I allowed myself to slip to one side so that I was hanging upside down.

"Mac said the test was over." Said the one with the walkie-talkie.

"Yeah, now we just need to _find_ the girl." Replied another.

"Any ideas?"

"Where was the last time we saw her?"

"Disappearing up a tree." I smiled slightly. Mac had indeed said that the test was over, and I decided that this would be as good a time as any to sneak up on someone.

"Did it ever occur to you that she may still be up a tree?" I said. The group on the ground jumped and looked up to see me. I dropped from the tree, wiping the smile from my face.

I was led out of the forest, over to an assault course. Mac was waiting there, watching me. I glanced at the course, and knew what I had to do. It didn't take a genius to work it out anyway. I jogged over to the first obstacle, clambering under the barbed wire.

_At least this is the last section of the test._ I thought, running through the course.


	5. Chapter 5

CHERUB

CHERUB

Fitting in…

Chapter 5

I paused just before a wall, with handholds scattered over it. I was already about fifteen meters up, and this would take me to twenty-five. I shrugged before starting the climb. It was hard enough to do with two arms, as the holds were strategically placed to make it as hard as possible. With one arm, it was near impossible. Two older agents were climbing beside me, urging me to go on. All I had to do was think of what my father would normally do if I failed a training course, and that was enough to get me going.

Five minutes later, I was at the top of the wall, facing a couple of jumps. It seemed simple enough, jump from one plank to the next, but the fact that you were 25 meters up in the air, with no safety nets in sight, kind of unnerved you. Arif took the jump first, landing neatly on the planks. I quickly calculated the chances, and saw that they were high in my favour. I took a deep breath and leapt over the few jumps. I glanced around, looking for the next obstacle, but saw nothing but a drop.

"What now?" I asked.

"You jump." Arif said. I looked at the 25 meter drop, and saw a seemingly tiny blue crash mat at the bottom of the wall. I stepped back, thinking it over.

_Right, you have a 10 chance of death or serious injury, 80 chance of light injury, and 10 chance of walking away unscathed… Just go for it!_ Summoning up my courage, I took the leap, free falling down. I felt several thin branches cut into my flesh, but ignored them.

I landed on the mat, but rolled off quickly. So that Arif and Paul could also take the fall. Once they had landed, and got back onto their feet, Mac conversed with them quickly. He nodded and turned to me.

"If you will follow me, I will give you the results of the test." He said, and walked off towards the main building. I followed him, slightly curious.

Once in his office, he gestured for me to take a seat in front of the fire, which I did, releasing my arm from the harness. He took out a sheet of paper, studied it quickly and then looked at me.

"How do you think you did on these tests?" He asked.

"I don't know what you are looking for, so I can't judge what I've done."

"The first test, how do you think that you got on?"

"I failed."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because I lost the fight." I said quietly, just wanting to sink further into the chair and disappear, like I usually did.

"No, you fought well. Not many people can beat Bruce in a fair fight. Now, the second test, you scored rather well. Just above average on mathematics, and almost perfect in English. In the third test, you killed the chicken easily, which was to be expected with your origins," I felt myself want to sink even lower into the chair and just go and cower somewhere. "The fourth test, we knew that you feared pursuit the most, but you showed that you could keep your head together, not to mention giving the pursuers a near heart attack." Mac chuckled slightly, and I managed a small, nervous smile. "You didn't score very well on the last test, the boys running alongside you said that you stopped a lot, but not out of tiredness, rather to think and plan your next move." I nodded slowly, wondering what the overall result was going to be.

"I see."

"This means that I am glad to offer you a place here in CHERUB. We will send you back to Nebraska to think it over for a few days unless you have already made a decision."

"I would like to accept the place, sir." I said, smiling genuinely.

"Ok, I'm going to have to send you back to Nebraska anyway, because there is someone else that we wish to see about our grounds, and we would like to move all three of you at once if it is at all possible."

"Three, sir?"

"There is already an agent there. Go and see the campus doctor, have your shoulder seen to."

"Yes, sir." I stood up, meaning to leave.

"Bruce has asked to escort you, should you accept his help." I nodded slowly. "He's waiting outside."

"Thank you sir."

"We hope to see you around here very soon in a grey shirt. Good bye."

"Thank you sir." I said again, making a mental note to find out about the colour scheme before turning and closing the door behind me. Sure enough, Bruce was there, sitting on the plastic chairs outside the office, having changed into the same uniform that I was wearing, but with a grey shirt.

"Hey, how did you get on?"

"I joined." I said with a smile.

"Great! Are you staying here now then?"

"No, apparently I have to go back to Nebraska for a bit." Bruce's face fell slightly, and I felt my own heart sink.

"Well, you will be coming here soon enough then

"Yes. Em... Mac said that I should go and see the doctor, where is he? I asked. Bruce's face lit up in a smile again.

We walked silently to the hospital building. I flexed the fingers on my immobilised arm, trying to get rid of the pins and needles that didn't want to leave. There was a doctor waiting there, obviously having been contacted somehow. I guessed by a means of interpersonal communications. After a quick x-ray, the doctor, who had a strange German accent, said that it was a clean, simple break and nothing very serious, apart from the fact that one half had been knocked out of place and was dangerously close to my lung.

He gave me a general anaesthetic to knock me out while he manipulated the bone back into place, and I woke up feeling disoriented and confused. There was still a dense fog clouding my mind. Shaking my head, I looked around and groaned inwardly. Bare walls, black sheets, I was back at Nebraska. I wondered whether it had all been a dream or something, it seemed to be too unreal to by true in any case. I sat up, and flinched as pain seared through my shoulder. Nope, not a dream, definitely not!


	6. Chapter 6

CHERUB 6

Wow, AGES since I last updated... *looks sheepish* SORRY! Hope you haven't given up on me... This is a short chapter, but I'm typing up the next one.

I rolled out of bed before rubbing my head. It felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. I staggered out of the room, one hand running along the wall as a guide. I managed to walk into the bathroom, and splashed water onto my face, looking in the mirror. What a sight... My hair looked like a bird had taken up residence in it, dark circles ran around my eyes, making the scar painfully obvious, and my jaw sported a huge bruise, probably from the fight with Bruce. I shook my head, water droplets flying off, and dried my face. Looking up again, I sensed someone behind me, and saw a rather annoyed looking Rachel standing in the doorway, foot tapping and fingers drumming. I grasped in my mind for any excuse to the impending question.

"Where. Have. You. Been?" She inquired sharply, her eyes blazing.

"Somewhere," I replied quietly, leaning against the sink.

"Where?"

I didn't reply.

"Kyle brought you back in last night, unconscious. Where were you?!"

"No where you need to know." I snarled back.

There was a polite cough from behind Rachel, and the psychologist stepped into the light. "Perhaps I should take it from here." She said quietly.

"Be my guest." Rachel said, storming off.

I closed my eyes tiredly, leaning my head back against the mirror.

"Looks like you took a fair beating. Was it the fight test?"

I jumped, staring at her, mouth hanging open.

She just smiled. "Been there, done that. Mac said you accepted..."

"Yes..."

"Welcome to the team."

I smiled properly, for the first time in years.

A month later, I stood on the kerb outside the home with a suitcase and a backpack, waiting for pickup from this dump. Kyle, who had been a recruiting agent from CHERUB, was laughing alongside James. I rolled my eyes, deciding that it was probably some really immature joke that I didn't want to know about. I stayed silent for the whole journey to campus, thinking about my past 'family', and wondering what this one would be like.

We arrived on campus after dark, but it didn't bother me. I had spent a good portion of my life in the dark. There were two people, both with clipboards, waiting for us. I could make out the figures, both female, but with the light from the buildings behind, I couldn't see any more detail. One voice asked for James, and Kyle slapped him on the back before striding off towards the residential building, leaving James go walk meekly over to the woman who had called him.

"Allyssianne Roth?" Asked the second woman. I walked over to her, keeping my face devoid of emotion. Now I was closer, I could see that she was quite wiry, but about twenty centimetres taller than I was. With black hair pinned back into a severe bun, she looked at me for a few moments before nodding.

"Follow." She said, walking towards the building.

"Welcome to CHERUB,


	7. Chapter 7

CHERUB: Fitting in...

Chapter 7

Thank you to all my reviewers! Here is (finally) the next chapter!

I lay on my new bed at six in the morning, glaring at the ceiling. My new handler, had prodded me for quite a few details about my past life, and was most annoyed when the answers started to get shorter and shorter. She had asked me about my life before the home, which I answered only with a glare. I wasn't about to tell anyone about the Guild of Assassins, and hopefully I wouldn't have to tell anyone about them.

Thinking about the Guild, my hand subconsciously strayed up to my left eye, around which was a scar. It was still painfully visible, being barely three weeks old. I remembered clearly as I was dragged out of the Guild, how one of my old masters had drawn his knife, and taken my face in his other hand. I remembered how he had carefully placed the blade next to my eyebrow, how he dragged it around my eye with pinpointed precision. He had thrown me back, my vision blurred on one side because of the blood running into my eye. He hadn't cared. He had turned his back on me and strode back into the Guild, leaving me to run away and try to stem the blood flow.

I sat up quickly, fists clenched in anger. I took several deep breaths to calm my mind, and got out of bed. It was six in the morning. Might as well get up. While I had been asleep, someone had been inside my room. There was a uniform and a piece of paper on the desk. I picked up the paper, a timetable, and observed it. I had all sorts of medical check-ups planned for today, and different tests arranged through-out the week to test my other skills. Ok, fair enough. I looked at the three small cardboard boxes sitting in the middle of my floor and shrugged mentally. Might as well get on with unpacking.

As I hung my calendar on the wall next to my new desk, I marked the date of the beginning of basic training. It was only a week away now, and I didn't know what to expect. I glanced at the clock. It was time for the first medical appointment already? I groaned mentally. Bad memories of the Guild medic. A MONKEY could have been more delicate with a needle!

I walked down a flight of stairs, heading for James' room. My handler told me that we would be together, as we had come from the same home at the same time. I knocked on his door. Something grunted on the other side, so I opened it. James was lying there, sprawled out on his bed, snoring. I looked stubbornly at the ceiling as I realised that he was only wearing his underwear.

"James, you do realise that it's ten to eight, and we both have the doctor at eight?"

"Mmph?" Came James' reply, before he bolted upright. "Shadow! How did you get in here?"

"The door was unlocked."

"Can you... er... get out a sec?"

I nodded my head, and leant against the wall outside the door. Doctor was first, and then onto the dentist... What fun... James at least had a decent medical record. Although, my handler had asked about jabs... I made a mental note to ask James what these 'jabs' were...


	8. Chapter 8

CHERUB: Fitting in...

Chapter 8

*Sighs* I need to work on more regular updates! Sorry everyone!

I walked out of the medical wing, rubbing my arm. Now I knew why James had laughed when I said that I had never had a jab. I reminded myself that it was something that normal people put up with from birth. The doctor had seemed quite pleased with the progress that my shoulder was making, of which I was sincerely glad, although now I had to wear a shoulder brace throughout basic training to stop the still-healing bone from breaking despite the metal pin. I cast a sideways glance at James, who was scowling. I had listened to the doctor raving from the waiting room, which was actually quite funny when you were nursing an arm that had just had about seven different needles stick into it.

The dentist had also been a rather strange experience (apart from the fact that I had flatly refused to let him stick anything in my mouth until he threatened to sedate me). Still, James had to have something called 'fillings' (yet another word I would have to look up), which seemed to be rather painful, judging by the look on his face when the news was announced.

We parted company soon after as James had to go for a swimming lesson. I decided to head for the athletics track, feeling the need to do some training of my own. I missed the schedule of the Assassin Guild. There was never really any time to think, which suited me just fine. It meant that you never had time to brood over the lives that you ended up taking, and eventually you forgot about them. After a couple of missions like that, it barely mattered that you had in fact, taken someone's life.

Meryl Spencer, James' handler, was already on the track, yelling at a couple of blue shirts who were running around the track. She nodded once to me as I began to run, measuring my speed carefully so as not to overexert myself too soon. I came close to lapping the other blue-shirts when they hailed me breathlessly. I slowed my pace to match theirs, running alongside them.

"You're Shadow, right? The assassin?" One boy asked. They were twins, and it took me a while to try and find any differences between them. I narrowed my eyes at the mention of the assassin.

"Yes." I muttered.

"Cool," The other boy said, "Well, I'm Callum, and this is Connor."

I nodded politely, committing to memory that Callum was the one with the slightly longer nose and that his fringe curled to the left rather than to the right.

We ran alongside each other for two laps of the track before the twins were called off the track by Meryl. I quickened my pace, running laps around the track. I calculated the distances in my head, knowing that one lap of the track was equal to 400 metres. I had to run about 50 laps to be doing the same as the assassins, and then force myself to do even more.

Ten laps, they were easy enough.

Twenty laps, and my breathing was starting to become ragged.

Thirty laps, not much of a change.

As I crossed the line to start my thirty-fourth lap, Meryl yelled at me to stop. I bent my head into my chest, forcing myself to keep going. She grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop.

"You don't have to keep up your old training methods, ok?" She told me. I would have answered back, but I guessed that it wouldn't be a wise thing to do. I nodded once, and started to walk back to my room.

I sat with James and Bruce at dinner, quietly observing everyone there. Callum and Connor were there, as well as two other girls wearing blue shirts. I already knew that their names were Kerry and Melanie, and that Kerry had already done half of the training course already whereas Melanie was going through it for the first time. I played with the half-eaten pasta on my plate as Melanie turned to me starting to question me about my life before CHERUB. As was my usual habit, I answered in monosyllables, until Melanie snapped.

"Will you stop it with the short answers?!" She snapped, glaring at me. I gazed back at her with a calm expression, one eyebrow raised. "You think you're better than us? You're just a cold-blooded murderer!"

I stood up suddenly, my calm face substituted for a look of thunder for a split second before I grabbed my tray, setting it down on the rack and leaving. Up in my room, I glanced around. I didn't know the procedure if you wanted to leave CHERUB. I couldn't stand being in a place where I was constantly going to be reminded of my heritage. Shouldering the light bag, I quickly ran out into the night, away from the CHERUB campus...


	9. Chapter 9

CHERUB: Fitting in...

I apologise for the delays in updating! Exams came up XP. Hopefully I should get quite a few chapters up this holiday.

Chapter 9

_Previously: I couldn't stand being in a place where I was constantly going to be reminded of my heritage. Shouldering the light bag, I quickly ran out into the night, away from the CHERUB campus..._

I leant my head back against the trunk of the tree. I was now several kilometres away from the campus now, sitting up a tree. Trees were my favourite place to sit, as they were high up, allowing me to see everything around me and to plan strategies accordingly. I pulled down the black band covering my mouth to allow myself to breathe more deeply. Old habits were hard to break, and I had wrapped the usual black band around my head, allowing only my grey eyes on view.

My mind turned back to the disaster that has lead me out here in the first place. Maybe I was being touchy about the whole thing, but I hated my past. I had to live in a world where assassins were not welcome. Yes, I had killed more than once, but the punishment for disobedience was not pleasant, and I hadn't known that there was a choice in what I could do. I sighed, closing my eyes. I wanted to go home, but where was home?

I think I dozed off briefly, because the next think I heard was someone underneath the tree I was sitting in. I shifted into a crouching position, looking down, and froze. There was a man down there, with an enormous looking dog. As the man looked around, I recognised him. Bruce had pointed him out to me in the dining hall once. It was the training instructor, Norman Large. I pulled the bandage back over my mouth, preparing myself to jump to the next tree.

I made the leap, but my foot caught a branch, snapping it. Both man and dog looked up at me. I swore in my mind, eyes wide, and began to give chase, no longer caring about being silent. He had seen me, now all I had to do was try and lose him. I could hear him speaking into what I guessed was a radio.

"I have her within visual range, she's in the trees!"

"Keep her in sights, groups A and B are heading over to your sector now," Came a voice from the radio. My heart froze as I recognised Mac's voice carry through the air. I leapt from branch to branch, tree to tree, desperately trying to outrun the training instructor below me, but his dog kept close tabs on me. Then an idea popped into my head.

I slammed on the braked, jumping upwards, crouching on a higher branch. My sudden change of direction had the desired effect on my pursuers. The dog stopped as well, but it sniffed the air, wandering round in circles before whining, turning back to Large. He sighed, ruffling his dog's ears and radioing again.

"Mac? I've lost her."

"Keep looking, the others are nearly at your position."

My heart sank again as I saw two small groups of people jogging through the trees, meeting up with Large. James was among them, along with Bruce and Kyle. Meryl Spencer had joined them, as well as my own handler. I listened to them discussing tactics, trying to form my own strategies. However, I didn't expect the three boys to suddenly take to the trees. I pressed myself against the trunk, knowing that there was no way I could change position any further without being noticed. I took a deep breath, praying to whatever god there was out there that they wouldn't find me.

"Sighted!" Came Kyle's voice from my left. I glanced in the direction sharply, seeing Kyle there, pointing a stun gun at me. I narrowed my eyes as Bruce moved in from my left, and James in the tree opposite.

_Great, just great,_ I muttered darkly in my mind.

"Come back with us Shad," Bruce said softly, lowering his stun gun a fraction. I narrowed my eyes, glaring at him, unable to speak because of the black band covering my mouth. Something snapped behind me, and I turned to see Kyle there, his gun inches away from my chest. I watched him, making no move.

I barely felt the voltage, but I felt myself lose my balance, falling backwards, through the branches, plummeting to Earth, my mind unfocused enough to stop my fall. I don't even remember hitting the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

CHERUB: Fitting in...

Chapter 10

Big thank yous to everyone who reviewed/favourite. I'm working on the next chapter as this is uploading and hopefully as you're reading it. With any muck, I'll be able to post it before I leave for Germany for two weeks!

_I barely felt the voltage, but I felt myself lose my balance, falling backwards, through the branches, plummeting to Earth, my mind unfocused enough to stop my fall. I don't even remember hitting the ground._

I couldn't open my eyes, the room was too bright painted completely white. I whimpered quietly, curling into a tighter ball on the white floor, my eyes squeezed shut and my head tucked into my chest. My chest still hurt though from the shot from the stun gun, a dull ache right between my collarbones. Someone had taken off the black band, and my dark grey hair was splayed freely on the pale floor. I didn't even look up as I heard a door swish open, willing my eyes to adjust.

"Shad?" Asked a quiet voice. The ache in my chest seemed to grow worse as I recognised Bruce's voice. "Shad?" He repeated. "Why'd you run away?"

I didn't, couldn't answer him. I didn't want to hurt him more than he probably already was.

"Shad, tell me, please..."

I managed to unlock my jaw long enough to speak. "I can't stay in a place where I'm always reminded of what I've done..."

"Shad, Melanie's just a bit of a hot-head, you didn't have to run away from campus just because of that."

I didn't answer him, still lost in my own little world of darkness behind my eyelids. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Shad? Why won't you look at me?"

"I can't, it's too bright..."

"Just try, ok, trust me."

I opened my eyes, just a fraction, looking through the narrow slits in an attempt to keep most of the brilliant light out of my eyes. There was someone standing behind Bruce, and that someone came just close enough for me to recognise him as Mac. I slowly pulled myself into a sitting position, blinking furiously as my eyes refused to adjust to the light.

"Shadow Roth.... I must admit that we haven't had many breakouts from CHERUB campus. We're not a prison. However, the few escapees that we have had have always been caught in a matter of a couple of hours. You managed to stay on the run for nearly twelve. Had it been under different circumstances, I would applaud you, but in this case, I have to refrain from doing so." Mac paused for a moment. "I have only had to do this once or twice for any CHERUB agent, but first, do you honestly want to stay on as an agent?"

"Yes, sir," I said quietly.

"You can drop the 'sir', Shadow, we're not in the assassin guild here."

"Assassin guild? " Bruce asked quickly, frowning.

"A tale for another time, if Shadow is willing Bruce. Now, Shadow, you want to stay on campus, we want to keep you, we think you have the potential to become a renowned agent, but I think we need to fit you with some sort of tracking device."

"Yes, Doctor." I said quietly, nodding. I was still mentally kicking myself for letting myself be caught like that. Well, I was kicking myself mentally. Had this been the Guild, someone would be kicking me physically for the failure.

I got up as Mac instructed me, following him out of the bright room. I later read on the door that it was a 'holding room' supposedly designed to hold CHERUB agents, who were already stronger than your average kid, who needed a little time out after a fight, or if one happened to be contagious and they couldn't transport them to a hospital.

The darker corridor was a relief to my eyes, and I managed to open them fully again. Oh, how I hated the light. All be had in the Guild were candles or low-light bulbs in the places where we managed to scavenge some electricity. I followed Mac with my head high, as I always held it, even knowing that I was already in a lot of trouble, and that I shouldn't be adding to it.

I walked out of the medical room only an hour after entering, one hand touching the point between the bones of my shoulder where the doctor had placed a tiny tracking device, no bigger than a grain of rice. I was surprised that technology could get that small, but I put it to the back of my mind. I was due in basic training in two weeks, and I had to get some of my own training in before I had to report to the compound for the 100 days of complete and total _hell_.


	11. Chapter 11

CHERUB: Fitting in...

Ooh, two updates in one day... I must be bored...

Chapter 11

I woke up early on the first day of basic training. I stretched, quickly getting up and looking out of the window into the pitch black night. Glancing at the clock, I sighed. It was two AM, plenty of time to get everything ready before getting down to the compound . I went over to my desk, having seen a small pile of clothing there, which I guessed were for basic training. I took one look at the clothes, and shook my head. They were torn and muddy, as if no one had bothered to clean them after their previous owners.

I rolled my eyes, but soon set to work, washing the clothes in the sink in the bathroom attached to my room. I would have gone down to the washing rooms, but I didn't want to wake everyone up at this time in the morning.

I contented myself with getting the mud and a few of the stains out of the clothes before wringing them out, taking note of the number on the back. Number eleven. Fair enough. I searched through the drawers of my desk, taking out a needle and thread, starting to repair most of the rips. I glanced at the clock as I worked. Half past three. I still had time to grab a quick snack before running to the compound.

The clothes were nearly dry by the time I had finished my light breakfast of a small bowl of cereal and a glass of water. I had hung them over the radiator while I ate. I now ran a critical eye over my work. As much as I wanted to take my own clothes, I had guessed that they wouldn't give me these unless I was supposed to wear them. The black thread that I had used to repair all the rips stood out against the light blue shirt, but I dismissed that. Light blue wasn't a colour that I tended to use, and I had opted for the extra strong thread, going by the reports on basic training from everyone else.

I glanced at the clock again. Ten past four. I should be getting a move on if I didn't want to turn up late. I threw on the clothes, ignoring the fact that they were slightly damp, grabbed my cloak and the small bag that I had packed with the bare things that I thought I would need. I glanced at the clock once more before leaving. I had half an hour to get to the fenced in compound before training started, and I was slightly worried. Yes, I wanted to get through basic training, but I was slightly apprehensive. I shook my head mentally at myself. I had been through ten years with the assassin guild. That should have prepared me for this.

I arrived outside the compound with five minutes to spare. I glanced at the others that were waiting. The twins, Callum and Connor were there, along with Kerry and, my heart sank when I saw this, Melanie. I had been avoiding that girl ever since the little 'accident', mainly to save both our necks from getting into trouble again. My hand strayed subconsciously to the half-healed scar on my neck, taking a deep breath. I would get through this. I swore an oath to myself that I would not let petty arguments get between myself and the completion of this course.

At exactly five o'clock, the gates into the compound were opened by the three training instructors. One of them was Norman Large. He gave me a slight nod, as if acknowledging my presence there. The second instructor, I guessed, was a woman, even though she was built like a mountain, and probably resembled one more than she resembled a woman in fact. I suppressed a shudder. She reminded me of Master Mammoth, one of the instructors from the Guild. Not one to be crossed... The other instructor there was another man, who was clearly muscular, but not built like a mountain. I took a deep breath as they led us into the compound and closed the gates after us. Well, I was here now. I was in basic training. I looked around the group of us there and realised something. There were supposed to be twelve of us there (I had read with a hopeless feeling of despair that Melanie was number twelve), but there were only eleven of us. Where was James?

James turned up later, in all his magnificence (I think you can sense the sarcasm behind that one). Large had taken a sadistic pleasure in making us wait for him. We had to crouch on the balls of our feet with our hands on our heads. My calf muscles were screaming at me to stand up, and it took all of my willpower not to move. I kept my eyes closed, forcing my mind to think of something else, to ignore the pain. I could hear my fellow trainees occasionally shifting their weight, trying to lessen the suffering. I knew that this was only the beginning of the torture that Large was going to put us through, and I tried to prepare myself mentally. This was going to one long 100 days...

James didn't just take a few minutes to arrive. He took _hours_. My mind had already turned to thoughts of what I was going to do to him as soon as I cleared basic training. It actually helped to take my mind of my loudly complaining muscles. I glared at him as he shook my hand, as Large had told him to do to all of the trainees. I could almost feel him squirming with embarrassment. Good.

I stood to attention as Large started his introductory speech. Her heart sank even further as he announced the pairs they were working in. _I'm paired up with MELANIE?! Of all the people..._ I was brought out of my thoughts by Large's bellowing command to 'get our butts out there on the combat course'. I mentally pulled a face, jogging outside, ignoring my partner as she started to run alongside me.

I looked at the first obstacle as it loomed in the distance, the height obstacle. I glanced at Melanie. She suddenly looked pale. I grabbed the rope, meaning to climb up, but Melanie was looking at it, her face giving the impression that she was going to be sick.

"Don't tell me you're scared of heights," I said, to her.

"Don't tell them, they think I got over my fear." Melanie squeaked back. I rolled my eyes.

"Ok, seeing as we're partners now, let's put our differences aside for now. In 100 days, we go back to avoiding each other. Deal?"

"Ok..." She didn't sound at all pleased.

"Right, now let's climb!"

_Only 99 more days to go..._


	12. Chapter 12

CHERUB : Fitting in

Sorry about the lack of updates, lots of things going on, as usual. I'll really try to get more of this story up!

The days of basic training seemed to meld into one, one long, continuous day of torture and exhaustion. The cold sapped at our energy, but no one dared to start flagging. The hours on the assault courses left us exhausted and covered in freezing mud. The lessons, no matter how interesting, made our heads spin. Large took great delight in making us suffer for the whole day. Our only comforts were hot meals and a warm shower if Large was feeling particularly soft.

Day 98. We were headed for a jungle in Malaysia for the final part of our basic training. I sat in the helicopter, my parachute strapped to my back, catnapping. Melanie sat beside me, chewing her nails. I wasn't surprised. If we failed now, then everything we had done over the last few 98 days would be lost, and we would have to start all over again. Already, two agents had had to drop out. One because of a broken wrist, the other willingly dropped out. I knew that I had only held on because I knew that I had been through the same thing before, and I had pulled through.

Large was passing around tracking devices, tying them onto the wrists on the agents in training. I only bothered opening one eye. Rest would be vital over the next two days. That much I knew. Large's voice boomed throughout the aircraft:

"Now, my little cupcakes, we are coming up to the drop points, enjoy your stay in the jungle!"

The side door to the cargo bay of the helicopter was wrenched open. Steadily, two by two, the agents took the leap. I threw my pack out before me, like the others had done before letting myself fall. It was blissful, falling through the air. I tugged on the release cord. The parachute met the air with a sudden wrench to my shoulders. I closed my eyes as I saw the ground rushing up to meet me, letting myself go limp. I collapsed into the sand, folding the 'chute in behind me. A muffled thump a few metres away told me that Melanie had also landed. Quickly unclipping myself from the parachute, I scanned the sands, looking for the telltale green of the bags. Melanie was already up and lugging her bag towards me as I located mine.

"Ok," I said, "Let's got through these packs and see what we can leave behind."

The packs contained a lot of junk, we soon found out. 'The complete works of Shakespeare' was only one of the completely useless things we found. Melanie held up a clockwork mouse with a look of distaste on her face.

"And what are we likely to use this for?" She asked sarcastically.

"I don't know, I used to use those for target practise..."

Melanie's look of surprise told me to shut up rather quickly. She held up a ping pong bat. "Ant this?"

"Fly swatter?" I suggested, shrugging.

We left with the bare essentials. Water bottles, knife, fly screen, compass, map, mission file, infrared torch and a tarpaulin. We had 10 hours to reach the next checkpoint, and that wasn't going to be easy. Melanie hacked her way through the jungle while I jumped through the trees. It was raining quite heavily by then, the afternoon starting to draw to a close. I stopped for a moment under the cover of a large leaf to check the map. Melanie stopped underneath me, panting. We hadn't stopped for the last five hours in the dense vegetation, and both of us were breathing hard in the heavy air.

"How far left to go?" She asked.

"Five kilometres roughly, if my calculations are correct." I replied, putting the map away and dropping to the ground. "We should be able to make it within an hour. Then we'll make camp and get some rest."

Melanie nodded before she trudged onwards. I walked alongside her, trying to see any easier paths through the gloom. All I saw was the dense vegetation. Hanging vines easily mistaken for snakes. Shadows thrown by the setting sun. I gritted my teeth. This was no time to scare myself with the surroundings.

Nearly an hour later, we cam across the river. With a sigh of relief, we saw the boat, our checkpoint. I started to set up camp while Melanie explored the little motor boat. A scream from inside it made me jump. I grabbed my knife, sprinting inside. Melanie stood there, cowering in a corner as a snake reared its ugly head. It flicked its tongue out. Melanie whimpered quietly in the corner. Fear was coming off her in waves. Slowly, silently, I drew my knife, taking aim. With a quick flick of my wrist, I launched the knife. The snake found itself pinned to the hull of the boat with the knife through its skull. Melanie let out a shuddering breath. I walked over to the snake, eyeing my work. The knife was off centre. I must be losing my touch.

"That thing was going to kill me!" Melanie gasped.

"It would have taken a while then. This kind of snake doesn't exist around here. The instructors must have put it here as some kind of sick joke." I wrenched the knife from the wall, running a finger over the damage to the wood to make sure it would still hold against the water. I slung the snake over my shoulder.

"How'd you fancy fried snake for dinner?" I suggested lightly, smiling at my horrified looking teammate.

I barely slept that night. I spent most of the time translating the mission file, which had been written in Japanese. Another trick of the instructors. All of the cherubs learnt a new language during basic training. I got landed with Japanese. The instructors must have found it funny to write the mission files in languages the cherubs barely understood. I was restless. I felt like something was going to go horribly wrong soon. It's always hard to shake that kind of feeling.

While Melanie slept, I took a closer look around the boat. Again, there was a ton of things that we didn't need. I started unloading them as quietly as possible. At least one of us had to be awake to keep the other one up. By the time I had finished, the sun was starting to rise, shining light on the treacherous path we were facing. Melanie crawled out of the tent we had managed to make out of the tarpaulin and huge leaves collected around the riverside. We had a quick breakfast of fruit, and set on our way.

I sat at the front of the boat, map reading, while Melanie took care of manoeuvring the vessel. Apparently her father had enjoyed playing with boats, so much that he had been killed in a sailing accident. Melanie had inherited his skills.

Several hours later, we came to an open lake. Without warning, the little boat suddenly lurched forwards, sending me hurtling back to whack my head off the cabin of the vessel. I glared at Melanie.

"You ok?" She asked, poking her head out of the cabin.

"Could you warn me next time you're about to do that?!" I snarled, rubbing my head.

"Aww, did I give the resident assassin a headache?" She replied in a babyish voice. My hands clenched into fists, but I remembered the mission.

"What do you want? A medal?!" I took a deep breath. "Just... don't do that again..." I muttered, going back to the map. The next checkpoint was supposed to be around here somewhere, but I couldn't see it. I frowned. Where could it be then? Had we taken a wrong turn somewhere?


	13. Chapter 13

CHERUB: Fitting in

Finally! Another update.

On the other side of the lake, bright orange buoys marked the checkpoint, a small wooden hut on the lakeside, soothing my worries. Melanie expertly maneuvered the little boat close to the docking bay. I sprang out easily, heading inside. On a table in the middle of the little hut were five envelopes. I picked out the one for Melanie and I, knowing that it would contain the next leg of the survival course. All that came out was a small slip of paper with Large's sprawling handwriting on it.

_Did you think it was going to be that easy? Try again. You will find your mission statement at the foot of one of the buoys. Happy diving!_

I ground my teeth as Melanie jogged inside, her eyes scanning the note in my hand. She looked at me and said two words:

"You're diving." With a roll of my eyes, I strode back out onto the jetty and jumped into the water.

The water was murky, algae and other bits of plant drifting through the water. Eerie silence surrounded me as I kicked downwards, eyes darting around, looking for the ropes. Finding one, I quickly surfaced for air. The jetty seemed a lot further away. Melanie was shouting for me to get on with it. Taking another lungful of air, I dove back under the surface. There, on the lake bed, half hidden under a large rock, was a bright yellow box. I locked my shoulder under the rock, heaving, trying to free the box. My mind yelled at me to surface, to get more air, but I ignored it. I wasn't going back up until I had freed the mission statement. The rock shifted a little, sending up clouds of sand into the water, obscuring my vision. The rock shifted a little more, allowing the box to slip out and start floating up to the surface. My lungs were screaming at me. I had to get to the surface.

The jungle air never tasted sweeter as I broke the surface, gulping down the much needed oxygen. With the box under one arm, I swam back to the jetty, clambering out of the water. Melanie set about prising open the box while I wrung out my hair.

"Ok, we've got another twelve kilometers to go before sunset." Melanie said, folding up the instructions and tucking them inside her backpack.

"Let's go."

The river was calm as we set off again. The journey didn't seem to be going to hard. I stretched out my tired limbs on the deck of the boat, taking a brief catnap in the sun. Or at least, I would have. A quiet beep made my ear twitch. I opened my eyes, looking around, tracing the sound. The engine…

"Melanie! Bomb on board!" I yelled, grabbing the pack. We had milliseconds to jump from the boat. I landed in the river just as our craft exploded. I swam to the edge, coughing in the smoke from the wreckage. I couldn't see Melanie. I scanned the waters, leaping in as I saw my training partner swimming feebly towards the shore. I pulled her arm around my shoulders, dragging her to the shore. Her skin had erupted into serious burns. Her eyes were half closed. I locked gazes with her. She nodded. I flipped the catch on the emergency bracelet, and sent out the call for help.

Within ten minutes, a helicopter landed nearby. Large jumped out, heading towards Melanie and I. He took one glance at Melanie.

"Sorry, Shadow, end of the road." He said, bundling the girl onto a stretcher.

"I can go on without her," I protested.

"It's too dangerous." Large replied, shaking his head. He reached out to take my wrist. I dodged out of the way.

"I don't care, I'm going on!" I yelled, grabbing the pack and running into the jungle before Large could follow me. I wasn't going to stop on the 99th day!


	14. Chapter 14

CHERUB : Fitting in

I kept up as steady a pace as I could through the jungle, sticking to the barely visible trails. Dusk soon began to fall and the insects began their night. I hid out most of the dusk period behind mosquito nets, catnapping, waiting for the night to take its hold on the rainforest.

I continued on through the night in the heavy air. I refused to let my mind wander to anything other than the task ahead: getting to the next checkpoint. The sounds of the night surrounded me, the strange bird calls, the occasional hissing of a snake or scream as an animal became dinner. Through the gloom, I saw the moonlight glinting off the surface of water and knew I had reached my checkpoint, an hour before the deadline.

I dove into the water, swimming across the surface of the small lake. Warily, I pushed open the door into a little tin hut, my eyes scanning the single room, expecting a trap.

"Well, you seem to have survived so far, excellent," Said the voice of one of the lower training instructors. I snapped my head round to see Mr Speaks lying comfortably in a hammock. I didn't miss a beat.

"I'm here for my mission statement," I said, eyes narrowed slightly. Mr Speaks stretched lazily.

"I was supposed to withdraw it, but you seem to be coping fine on your own." He said, pulling an envelope from his pack. Wordlessly, I took it, moving so as to read it in the moonlight, trying to decipher the letters.

"Do me a favour, Shadow," Speaks said seriously, "Don't push yourself too far. Good recruits are hard to come by and there's a lot of stuff in this jungle that can easily kill you."

"Not if I kill it first," I growled, stuffing the statement into my pack and striding out of the door.

I jogged along the paths, the sketchy map in one hand, my brow furrowed in concentration. Desperation was starting to creep up on me. My throat burned with thirst, my muscles screamed in pain, sweat dripped down my forehead, but I forced myself on, repeating the CHERUB mantra in my head: _This is tough, but cherubs are tougher, this is tough, but cherubs are tougher, this is tough, but cherubs are tougher_. I refused to let myself give up. If I gave up, I would be proving to Large that he was right and I was wrong. Soon, all rational thought was out of the window. I relied solely on animal instinct.

By the time I reached the final checkpoint, I looked a sight. Bloody scratches looked like war paint, twigs and leaves were tangled up in my long hair, the plait having been long lost, but I was alive! Then her heart sank. It was only the morning of the last day. There had to be something else. I leant against the side of the little hut, allowing myself to relax after the long journey. Someone coughed. I opened my eyes, looking to the side, towards the origin of the noise. Large stood there, his arms folded over his chest, one eyebrow raised. My heart sank slightly. It had only just occurred to me that he could still fail me over disobeying orders.

I fidgeted, uncomfortable. It was the last leg of the test. Large explained to them that they had to see how the recruits handled pain. The thought of pain itself didn't bother me, but it was having my ankles tied firmly to the chair, blindfolded and gagged, that was starting to get to me. On Large's command, I lowered my hands into a bucket containing a poisonous jellyfish. I tried not to flinch as it wrapped its tentacles around my wrists. I frowned slightly. My hands didn't hurt that much. There was only a slight burning. What was the point in a predator if it didn't hurt instantly? To my side, I could hear the others starting to protest about saw the point of the exercise.

I had had enough. I yanked off the blindfold, seeing a little white squid at the bottom of the bucket. I squashed the urge to sigh. A test of nerves. As I bent down to untie my ankles a flash of grey caught my eye. A t-shirt. A grey t-shirt. Exclamations of joy erupted around me as the other cherubs saw the prize from their efforts over the long weeks.

I slept mainly on the flight back. I was exhausted from basic training and looking forward to being back at CHERUB. Most of all, to my shock, I wanted to see Bruce again. It was getting dark by the time we finally arrived back. There were a few people waiting to receive us back on campus. To my delight, Bruce was there. I jumped out of the minivan that had brought us from the airport, running towards him. To my surprise, he stepped forwards, wrapping his arms around me.


	15. Chapter 15

CHERUB : Fitting in

Two weeks after coming back, victorious, from basic training, I slept lightly in my bed. At six in the morning on a Sunday, no one was awake. At least, no one on CHERUB campus. My eyes snapped open as the phone started to ring. I glanced quickly at the clock. I bit my lip. My hand shook slightly as I reached for the phone, picking it up.

"Hello?"

_Click click click – click click click click-click clickclick-clickclick click click- clickclick clickclick clickclick-click clickclick click_

I froze. There was only one person I knew who communicated in Morse code. Sweat beaded my palms. The Assassin Guild. I listened to the message, my heart sinking. I thought I was going to throw up. I wrote down what the person was saying, automatically translating it. As if in a dream, I put the phone down, looking at the paper.

_Shadow Wolf, you have been drafted. Your target is Doctor Terrance McAfferty. He must be dealt with. These are your orders. Over._

I tried to get my head round the message. My fingers traced the scar around my eye. They had thrown me out, and now they were giving me orders? I owed them no more allegiance… But I had to warn Mac.

Still in my pyjamas, I grabbed my cloak, running out into the corridor, sprinting down the stairs. I had to tell Mac that he was in danger, that the Guild was after his head. I skidded to a stop in front of his secretary, breathing heavily. I must have looked a sight with wide eyes and messy hair.

"I have to see Mac," I said.

"He's busy at the moment, Shadow, sorry," She replied without so much as looking up.

"I've got to see him, now!" I yelled, my panic starting to rise.

"I'm trying to do some paperwork," Came an irritated Scottish voice. I wheeled round to see Doctor McAfferty standing in the doorway to his office, unamused. Relief to see him flooded through me.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have to see you on a matter of the upmost importance," I gabbled. Mac frowned.

"Can't it wait, Shadow?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid not."

"Then come in."

I sank gratefully into one of the chairs facing Mac's desk, closing my eyes and trying to regain my composure. Mac sat patiently.

"Now, Shadow," He said once I had calmed my mind enough to think. "I have never seen you in such a state. Tell me, why did you have to see me?"

I told him about the phone call and the message, explaining that if the mission had not been completed within forty eight hours, another assassin would be assigned. He listened carefully, not interrupting until I had finished. He sat back in his chair.

"Shadow, is it not possible that you may have been dreaming?" He asked gently. I merely stared at him, unable to believe the words he had just spoken. "Ok, I'll take that as a no." He said. He sat back, shuffling the papers on his desk. He handed me a flat, plastic card, not unlike a credit card. "This will get you into the mission preparation building. You would have found out in a couple of hours, but you've been chosen for a mission. It'll take your mind off this little problem."

I sat opposite a mission controller named Zara, looking over a mission briefing. As my eyes scanned the pages, I felt the colour drain from my face.

"You have got to me pulling my leg, please tell me you're pulling my leg." I told Zara. She shook her head. "You want me to go back to the Guild? Are you out of your mind?"

"Calm down, Shadow," Zara said, looking me in the eye. "You don't have to accept the mission if you don't want to, but consider this: It's almost impossible to find someone to infiltrate the Assassin Guild. You were one of them, surely you still have access?"

I took several deep breaths. "It's not as easy as walking in, getting the information and shutting down the operation they've got going on. Yes, politicians are being killed off like spies, and it looks like the Guild's work, but I don't have access to the mission files. It could easily take a month before I can get into them."

"We can at least try. There's a major election coming up in a couple of months. We need to sort this out. Remember, you have the right to refuse the mission, but we have no one else to send in."

I rested my head in my hands, weighing up the options. The briefing said that Bruce would be accompanying me. The alibi now seemed to be foolproof. I go back to the Guild, say I failed because Bruce saw me and wanted to join up, and stay there to get the information. It seemed simple. I looked back up at Zara.

"Ok, I'll go." I said.

I spent the rest of the day with Bruce, teaching him everything I could about manners in the Guild. We would be leaving the next day for the Guild. My stomach was tying itself in knots as I thought about going back. I would not be well received, that was for sure, not bearing the scar. As the evening drew to a close, I started to feel my eyes closing. Bruce gently suggested that I get some sleep. I shook my head, saying that I didn't want to sleep, my paranoia creeping up on my mind. Once more, I found myself in his arms, my head on his chest. Within half an hour, I fell asleep alongside him, comforted by him, listening to his heart beating.


	16. Chapter 16

CHERUB : Fitting in

I strode alongside Bruce, heading towards the Guild entrance, hidden deep within a forest. Neither of us had spoken of the fact that we had woken up in each other's arms that morning. I glanced back at him, walking half a pace behind me.

"We're coming up on the Guild soon." I said. Bruce grunted in response.

The entrance to the Guild was well concealed, a battered wooden trapdoor, hidden by brambles. I pulled them back, ignoring the shallow cuts they made on my hands. Bruce jumped down the hole first, leaving me to pull the brambles back. I dropped down next to Bruce, my eyes quickly adjusting to the gloom, the darkness lifted only by the occasional lamp along the wall. I glanced once at Bruce. He nodded back, and I walked on.

After about a hundred metres, we came to a heavy door blocking the tunnel. I knocked three times.

"Shadow Wolf requesting entry, bringing Bruce Norris." I shouted. For a moment, nothing happened. The door scraped across the dirt floor, revealing a stone-faced assassin.

"You must report to the Lord, Shadow Wolf." He said. I nodded once, fixing an expression of stone on my own face, pretending as if nothing fazed me, although it did. I strode through the underground tunnels, remembering the paths from my childhood. Bruce scurried to follow my long strides. I came to a gap in the tunnel that led into a cavern. I turned to Bruce.

"Don't talk unless spoken to, don't look up at him, and stay kneeling." I whispered to him before striding into the room. I walked to the centre of the room, kneeling down on one knee with my fist over my heart. I heard Bruce do the same next to me.

"So, the prodigal returns, Shadow Wolf." Said a male voice. It took all my self control not to look up. I knew the Assassin Lord was walking towards us. "I do believe that we exiled you, why do you return?"

"I obeyed my training, sir, I should come and report back after a mission."

"Stand up." The order came as a quiet threat. I got to my feet, but still kept my eyes lowered. I felt his hand on my cheek, lifting my face up so I locked gazes with him. He traced the scar around my eye. I jerked backwards, narrowing my eyes.

The Assassin Lord turned to Bruce.

"And who have you brought with you?"

"Bruce Norris, of the CHERUB campus. He saw me as I was about to execute my duty and wished to follow me."

"Did you complete your mission?"

This was the question I had been dreading. "No, sir, I did not."

I fell back, my hand flying to my face as the Assassin Lord backhanded me. He stood over me, stopping me from getting up.

"You did not complete your mission and you _dare_ return here."

"I'm sorry, sir!" I cried out, curling into a tight ball on the ground. The Assassin Lord strode towards Bruce, pulling him to his feet and surveying him. I didn't dare move out of fear of angering him further.

"You two will commence training once more tomorrow. Wolf, you had best not anger me again." He ordered, letting Bruce go and turning back to the dark throne, dismissing us. I grabbed Bruce's arm, dragging him back out into the tunnels.


	17. Chapter 17

CHERUB : Fitting in

For a month, Bruce and I stayed at the Guild, thankfully not having to go on any missions. At least, until now. I was to go on a mission, and take Bruce with me for the experience. I knew that he was getting edgy. We had been there for a month, and I had made no moves. He confronted me one day after a particularly hard training session.

"Shadow, we've been here for a month, aren't you going to _do_ something?" He asked.

I looked up from a computer hacking manual at him. "There isn't much I can do until I earn their trust again."

Bruce flumped down on his bed with a sigh.

"Ok, Bruce, we'll make a move tonight."

That night, I left the little cavern that served as a room for me, sneaking out into the tunnels. Bruce was close behind me.

"You go to the organization chambers, go through the files there." I whispered. "I'll go to the throne chamber and search through the classifieds." He nodded.

I crept through the corridors, thankfully crossing no one as I slipped into the Lord's chamber. Behind his throne, there were a couple of chests full of the classified mission reports. I pulled out my lock gun, sticking it into the lock and twiddling it around until it sprang open. Setting the lock gun aside, I started looking through the files. My eyes scanned the papers for anything that could relate to the government killings.

Something struck me from behind, sending me crashing forwards. Hands grabbed my arms, pulling me upright. I struggled desperately, kicking out behind me. Suddenly all the lamps light up, half blinding me. I could see the outline of the Assassin Lord and struggled even more. He lashed out, an open palm strike to my temple, half knocking me out. Through the daze I saw Bruce being dragged in.

"You have angered me once more, Wolf," The Lord said, "Most unwise of you."

I said nothing, trying to glare at him through the haze that had taken up residence in my mind. Bruce followed my lead. He started to walk in a circle around us. I stared straight ahead, trying not to sway.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asked.

"Let Bruce go," I asked quietly.

"Maybe I shall, but then the question remains: What do I do with you?"

"I don't care what you do to me, just let Bruce go!" I said, the haze starting to clear. I struggled against the assassin holding me. The Lord paused, looking at me.

"I think I will honour your request, Daughter of the Sword." He said. He glanced at Bruce. "Scar him and send him on his way."

Bruce glanced at me, not knowing what was happening as the assassins hauled him away. I watched him go, trying not to show any expression on my face. As he disappeared from view, I turned my gaze back to the Lord.

"Now, my daughter, I'm afraid that it will be down to the lower chambers. Two months."


End file.
